The Strategist's Apprentice
by Lunar Wave
Summary: It was a strange sight for the fifteen year old Lyndis, to find a girl just around her age, lying on the plains, clearly out cold. Carrying that girl into her tent, it was that meeting that spawned a friendship that can shake the land of Elibe. However, Lyn did not know this. Nor did she know that the person she was carrying would be her future tactician, Minori of Log Horizon.
1. Quest Added: Lyn's Journey

**The Strategist's Apprentice  
**by Lunar Wave

**Disclaimer: I don't own Log Horizon, nor do I own Fire Emblem**

**A/N: Lyn is in her Japanese Age of 15, rather than the International 18.**

* * *

"What strange clothes."

Even to me, this was a strange sentence for me, but this was the first thing that came to mind when I first saw the girl sprawled on the earth of the Sacae Plains. It was not due to anything prejudiced, but the ridiculousness of the fact that a girl, unlikely to be any older than 15, was here, in the middle of nowhere, no caravan in sight, wearing clothes clearly that of a foreigner, and was lying where, when the night comes, the girl would simply freeze to death. The absurdity of the situation simply made me wonder where this young girl came from and tried to discern that by trying to piece together the available clues. And the only clue I have is her clothes, hence the strange sentence.

I simply could not figure out where her clothes came from, nor could I begin to think which country those kind of clothing would be referring to. Then again, I have not been much through other countries and have only seen foreigners in Bulgar and amongst the caravans, but I distinctly do not remember the kind of clothing this young girl seems to be wearing. A white cloth wrapped her top, with long baggy sleeves, or at least that's what it looked like to me, through which her hands only barely came out of, fastened by a piece of metal armor. Red baggy pants, clearly unfit for any form of battle, fastened by a pink cloth. The girl herself had short, brown hair, but she still looked fairly healthy.

"Not for long if I leave her out here." I quickly chastised myself, as I moved to grab her. I need to carry her back to my home. And with a heft, the girl was on my back and I was once more on my horse, running back to my ger, where I lived, all alone.

My name is Lyndis of the Sacae Plains.

* * *

"Where am I?"

This was the first thought that came to mind when I woke up in a strange tent, covered in standard native objects. I softly tried to reach out and access the menu. It soon appeared winking:

**Name: Minori  
Race: Human  
Class: Kannagi  
Subclass: Apprentice (Teacher: Level 95 Scribe, Shiroe)  
Level: 33  
Guild Name: Log Horizon**

Clearly, I'm still in Elder Tale. But, where in Elder Tale am I? This is nowhere near Akihabara.

Checking my clothing, I saw nothing wrong in that direction, seeing my still quite unfamiliar, yet familiar at the same time, [Protecting Head Shrine Priestess Wear] a reforging of my [Shrine Priestess Clothing] tailored for level 30's compared to the latter's level 20. It didn't look all that different from the previous version, but it did give a boost of magic defense and the Protecting modifier did give a bonus on both magic defense and defense, so I'm somewhat safe from most magic attacks weaker than my level. I looked around, searching for my bag. The bag was a gift from Shiroe, which is why it was quite valuable to me. It was not a magic bag, but it does have certain spells woven into it by tailors to allow it to hold just a little bit more than it should've. It might not have the capacity as a Dezenegg's Magic Bag, but I was happy regardless. I placed much of my belongings in said bag, and so, I didn't wish to lose it.

"Oh, you're awake." I jerked my head around, not sure as to who would be referring to me.

"Umm… uh…" I stuttered, not sure as to what to say. The girl in front of me was human. That was clear. She had beautiful green hair, but I cannot help but try to check her status. However, she has yet to use any form of attack on me nor are we in the same party, so I can't see if she was a Person of the Land or not (I became more aware of such a detail after Rudy turned out to be one). At the very least, I suppose it would be too rude to ask so…

"I am Lyn of the Lorca Tribe. I found you lying on the plains, so I brought you here to my ger." If she lives here, clearly she is a Person of the Land. A sword on her hip, making her a warrior, and it's likely that she is relatively higher level than most of her peers. Wait… stop Minori, common courtesy first, analyzing later.

"I'm Minori, an Adventurer."

"Minori? A strange name, but a good name nonetheless. What country do you hail from?"

"… Ja… Oh, I am from Yamato." She hoped that this would suffice as an answer but the furrowed brow on Lyn's face said otherwise.

"Where is this… Yamato?" She seems to be struggling to find a way to ask politely. "I have not head of that land from anywhere in Elibe."

"Elibe? Can I see a map, so as to be sure?" Lyn nodded, rushing away to find one. I sat on the bed, idly noting that my bag was on the ground right next to the bed. How did I get here? The last thing I remember is walking past the town plaza, and the next moment, I was here.

Automatically, my hand accessed the menu. Going to my friend's list, it's time I contact the one person that saved me before, and I hope have the answers necessary. It was time I contact my Guild Master, and first crush, Shiroe.

* * *

Lyn stood to one side, carrying as many maps as she could in her hands. She herself has scanned the maps beforehand, but she didn't find any land on them remotely referred to as 'Yamato'. She walked to the room, cautiously peeking in to see if the young girl was awake. Thinking back on what she knew of the girl, she subtly remembered her designation as "Adventurer".

She looks too young, even by Sacaean standards to be traipsing across deserts and plains alone, and she looks as fragile as a flower. Lyn could only guess that she has some form of hidden "thorns" to be able to combat any bandits that she might come across. How old WAS she? And where are her parents? Surely they would be against her holding her own… is it she was like herself?

Lyn herself was only 15, living alone in the plains with only her own skills to rely on to survive. Already her food cabinet barely holds enough for her to maintain the amount of food her parents had told her to eat when she was young.

She shook her head out of those sad thoughts and returned to what she thought about Minori. Minori doesn't have any form of toned muscles to indicate fighting skill, and Lyn didn't find any form of weapon on her person when she laid her on the bed. Magic was the only option available, and she could confirm that if she had found any tomes of magic. But she refused to touch the bag as it was not hers, so she couldn't confirm that.

In the end, she couldn't help but worry for the girl the moment she leaves again, and she was fully intent on letting the girl have any maps, and maybe… hopefully, she can come with the girl to wherever the road takes them.

Lyn decided that she had enough thinking, and walked with slightly more purpose than she had left with.

"I brought the maps." Minori jerked her head towards the girl. But what surprised Lyn the most were traces of tears forming in her eyes. Minori hastily wiped her tears away and Lyn, though concerned, kept herself from asking the obvious question.

"Sorry." Minori smiled, though it was strained. "It's just that… it doesn't matter." Lyn nodded unsure what to do. They simply stared at each other, a deafening silence piercing through the room. It was Minori who broke the silence first.

"Umm… Lyn? May I see those maps?" Lyn nodded mutely, placing the maps on the bed.

Lyn watched as Minori unfurled the first map she grabbed, which was the map of Sacae. What surprised Lyn was when Minori's eyes glowed a subdue green and moved across the map as though she was reading at a faster rate than anyone is capable of doing. She placed the map out of the way and grabbed a new map and repeated the process. This time it was a map of Lycia, which Lyn was unsure as to why it existed in her home. It appears to have her mother's handwriting scribbled across some locations, and Lyn resolved to take a look-see through that map so that when she leaves the plains, she will visit those locations. She only just realized how hard she was looking at the Lycian map when Minori finally placed the map away view and Lyn made a quick note to read through that map as well. She returned her gaze to Minori who was finally looking at the map that, Lyn honestly believed, should have been the first map she grabbed. The map of Elibe laid unfurled on the table, and Minori grimaced as she read through the map.

"I… don't recognize any of these locations… I would assume that Sacae and Lycia are these two respectively," she pointed at the appropriate portions of the map, "but Yamato is an island nation… so I suppose that, for some strange reason, I was sent across the seas?"

"But how could you possibly have arrived here, in the middle of the Sacaean plains, if you did not know of the location?" Lyn was surprised at her conclusion, but to be fair, Elibe didn't have much connection to lands beyond its region, and she certainly would have known if there was a new land imposing itself upon the area. At least, she thought so.

"I think… it might have to do with the Fairy Rings." Lyn was shocked at the term that was thrown at her.

""Fairy Rings"?" She echoed, unsure as to what it means. She has of course heard of stories of the fey from hearsay, and Sacae itself is a land that believes in the spirits of nature, but to hear such a term and not be familiar with it is difficult for her to take too seriously.

"You don't know what a Fairy Ring is?" At this Lyn nodded mutely, "It is a magical gate that allows those in Yamato to transfer from region to the location of any of the fairy rings… at least that's what Shiroe-san told me." Lyn nodded, but to think there was such powerful magic in existence, it boggled the girl's mind.

"But there is no Fairy Ring in this land." Lyn pointed out. "The very location where I found you has no such structure, at least to my knowledge." Minori nodded slightly.

"It may have been a malfunction, or at least an event scenario. I suppose I have no choice but to search for a way back home." Minori sighed, as she sat on the bed. Then something strange happened. Minori suddenly sat abruptly, putting her finger on something in front of her that Lyn was incapable of seeing, and suddenly asked a question. And finally placing her finger to her ear, she smiled.

"Shiroe-san!" Minori delightedly said. Lyn looked on in confusion as Minori shuffled slightly on the bed, as though trying to make herself comfortable.

"Yes. I'm fine." "I'm sorry for worrying you" "I see, so that's why I could not contact you earlier." Lyn looked baffled as Minori chatted with an invisible entity and figured that if there was a magic that transferred a person from another location, then it is possible that Minori's country had also discovered a means of speaking without being directly in front of each other. If so, she should not interfere with the girl and she stepped out of the room and into the plains.

* * *

Lyn stretched her arms as she exited the house. She had intended on having a noontime stroll, and perhaps hunt a few wild game to supply her food cabinet. For that reason, she left the house with only her bows and arrows, clumsy though she may be with the long ranged weapon.

It was then that she noticed something strange off in the distance. With the eyes of a trained tracker, she spotted a bunch of bandits walking towards the nearest ger in the area. Lyn glanced at the home. At this time, the men would have still been out of the house, hunting for meat, and there was only the mother and child left at the home.

There was no time to think, she rushed back in the house. She ran for her blade, and dropped the bow and arrows on the ground nearby.

"Lyn, is everything alright?" Lyn turned to the one who asked the question, and faced a concerned Minori, her right hand still touching the right side of her head. Lyn grimaced and answered.

"Bandits are attacking the neighboring ger. I need to stop them. I'll be back short-" Minori's eyes sharpened, as the girl quietly grabbed Lyn's hand with her left before she could leave. Lyn struggled slightly against the young girl, but it was then she realized just how strong the girl is. Lyn pulled at her hand, but Minori didn't even budge despite being about the same age.

"Wait, I'll come along. Sorry, Shiroe-san, but I need to help the Person of the Land I told you about. I'll contact you as soon as I'm able to. Contact Tohya? Okay, thanks." Minori automatically put her right hand down. "I'll help you with the bandits. I just need my staff and we can go." Minori let her go, once walked over to her bag.

"Staff? You're a cleric?" It was widely known that staves are generally used by the healers of Saint Elimine, but when Minori pulled out an oddly shaped one, one that is clearly not like any of the usual staves of the followers of Elimine, one with rings dangling from the décor on the staff, she was somewhat stumped.

"Hmmm. No, but I am a healer-class. I'm a Kannagi." She smiled brightly. "I also work as the field monitor of the party I was in. I'm going to add you to my party for now." Lyn was unsure about the terms that the girl was throwing at her but when a magic screen suddenly showed up in front of her, she didn't really have time to think about it. All she saw was in Sacaean script was written: "Minori invited you to join her party." Two circles are on the button. One says "Accept", and another says "Decline". Lyn's finger automatically hovered over Accept, but she hesitated.

"I'm not sure if I could just impose on you-" She was quickly cut off by Minori when she hand waved the girl's doubts.

"Don't worry; it's fine! Adventurer's accept quests from the People of the Land all the time! In fact, I'll be very happy to help you." Lyn nodded, not sure as to what she meant by People of the Land and merely assumed that it was a reference to herself and the fact that she is Sacaean but there was a slight doubt that was the case. But if it was a reference to her heritage then she would just simply take it in stride and act the part. And so she pressed the Accept and she suddenly felt as though the world had shifted.

Her world started to focus more, as though it had always been out of focus. She was fairly sure her eyes were not bad to begin with, but the fact that she felt as though a strange event has just happened and she was dragged out of the familiar old-style to a much more enhanced realm. She was not sure how to describe this feeling, and she started searching for the reason inwards, looking for why the world suddenly shifted, and then a magic rectangular light danced in her vision. On it was written:

**Name: Lyndis of the Lorca  
Race: Human  
Class: Myrmidon  
Subclass: Lord  
Level: 3  
Guild Name: N/A**

It was there, plain to her eyes, her name, her tribe, and everything, from how much her clothes protects her to a list of skills she could probably use. She is unfamiliar on what all these mean, but the fact remains that that appeared out of nowhere and it was that it appeared the precise time that she accepted the party invitation.

"What… no, let us hurry and finish off the bandits before we discuss what is going on here." Lyn grabbed the sword and placed it on her hip. Lyn looked back at Minori, who simply smiled, and the two rushed out the door.

* * *

"Four bandits. A Level 4, two 6s, and a 7 respectively. Not that difficult when you consider that on our side is a level 3 and a level 33…" Minori murmured, but Lyn could hardly understand what she meant by that. "But Lyn needs to get a bit of experience in battle." Minori looked slightly panicked as she realized something, "But they're still People of the Land, I couldn't possibly…"

"I wouldn't call thieves People of the Land." Lyn remarked, a bit offended at the reference, "They are nothing more than the worst kind of scum to ever walk it." Minori looked away ever so slightly.

"It's just that… they're still human. I'm not really sure if we should do this…"

"Then allow me to strike them down." Lyn replied, hardened, "I would not ask for a foreigner to throw their morals away just for the Sacaean's sake. You can leave the battlefield as you will."

"But I already promised to help you! I will not stand by and let you fight alone. Those two are clearly stronger than you." Minori argued. Lyn grimaced at this argument, but she already has a counter to that.

"But I'm faster and these two don't have a shred of armor to cover their torsos. I will certainly be able to deal a finishing blow to them, even if they are stronger."

"Then, let us work together. I will be the healer and support, as well as the field monitor. Your job is to be the one to… kill… them." Lyn nodded, as she prepared to run forward, but Minori immediately stopped her for now.

"First, let's make a plan."

The plan Minori made was simple, simply because that was the only plan you really could make in a situation with limited manpower (Lyn and Lyn alone), against 4 bandits who were clearly stronger than the singular person that comprises their team. Lyn's goal was simple, lure them one by one and try to kill them that way. But Lyn didn't like it. This was a clearly dishonest way of battle and she would much rather charge head on and defeat them herself. And so Minori had decided to simply allow her to do as she wishes, and protect her that way. That's why Minori did not tell her to do anything other than to simply defeat them from the weakest to strongest and to not go too far ahead of her.

Lyn rushed into the battlefield, her quick agile feet instantly closing the distance between her and her target. The man quickly saw her and was startled the moment the sword in her hand was lodged through his heart. The added momentum and the unarmored defense quickly brought the bandit's HP to 0, regardless of how powerful the man is. His axe fell limply on his side, and then the bandit fell. The others saw their fallen comrade and cried out.

"Ey! This girl killed the new recruit!" The one Minori referred to as the first level 6 cried out. "Kill her!"

"Boss, you can leave this to us!" The other level 6 growled, as they both rushed into the fray. Lyn looked upon her enemies with a cold stare. That was her first kill, but she had no time to think about that. She still had to kill 3 others after all.

"Bandits are not welcome in these plains." And with that Lyn disappeared from their view. The first level 6 looked around searching for their enemy, only to suddenly find a blade lodged through his chest. His strength disappeared and he regretted not wearing any armor at all. Maybe if he had, he wouldn't have died so easily. He looked back towards his killer and roared, before he finally succumbed to the deepest sleep known to man.

The other bandit was so shocked as he watched his comrade fall to the ground as Lyn pulled the blade out of the bandit and instantly rushed for him. He growled, raising his own axe and taking a strike at Lyn. But Lyn was faster; clearly, and most assuredly, faster. And with a clean stroke, the man's arm, holding the axe, fell limply to the ground. With a final cry, Lyn finished the battle. She rushed forward and beheaded the man with her blade.

"You would DARE make a mockery of Batta the Beast's Bandits!? I'll _kill you_!" Batta roared, rushing forward as well. Unlike his companions, he actually did have some modicum of armor on his chest. However it is made of leather, and said leather would simply fall short in terms of the blade. But in Lyn's arrogance, after defeating the other 3, she had rushed forward as well, her blade shining in the sunset sky.

"That won't be enough, little missy!" Lyn's sword was blocked. She could hardly believe it. Fast. That's all that she could think of when Batta had blocked the sword. He was faster than the other 3. The sword was knocked out of her grip, and she immediately chastised herself for losing her grip on the weapon. All she could do now was watch as the axe fell.

"_Protective Barrier!_"

At this cry, a single, powerful, magical barrier materialized in front of Batta's axe, stopping the weapon from advancing for a single split second. This moment was enough for Lyn. She immediately made a scramble for her blade, as the barrier fell and land on nothing, and struck her opponent as he stayed shocked from the attack.

"What… just… how…?"

And with that Batta, fell. The man's strength had disappeared, and now Minori was walking towards her friend. Lyn herself had collapsed into a sitting position from exhaustion, having been running around with sheer adrenaline after the first few deaths.

"This was the first time you have killed a human, isn't it?" Minori had a small smile on her face as she looked at the carnage left by the bandits. Lyn nodded slightly. "Well, you still did well, despite that." Lyn nodded. She made a final glance against Minori and said the first question that came to mind.

"How old are you, Minori?"

"About 14, almost 15. Why?"

"Then you're about the same age as me, huh?"

Minori was clearly taken aback. Lyn certainly did not look like a 14-15 year old. She looked more like an 18 year old with her… admittedly well-endowed figure. She could not understand just how she could be the same age as a middle-schooler as it is. So Minori did the only thing she could think of doing. She laughed. And soon enough, Lyn was laughing alongside her, though she did not know why they were doing so, they were both laughing. They walked back to the ger, still laughing.

* * *

"Eh? You want to come with me?" Minori asked, taken aback by Lyn's proposal. However, Lyn could tell that the girl did not feel repulsed by the idea, as she simply seemed shocked and confused. Lyn was delighted. It means Minori was not against the idea.

"Yes, Minori. May I?"

"But you're a People of the Land… Wouldn't it be bad for you if you came with an Adventurer? Adventurer's get into more dangerous things than what you are probably used to…"

"… Can I not be an adventurer?" Lyn asked, wondering if there was an actual process to being an adventurer.

"You can. But… it's difficult… And I don't really understand it yet… Shiroe-san, my teacher, is the only one I know that could do that." Minori smiled slightly. "and he's leaps and ways beyond me."

"Teacher? So you are his…"

"Apprentice." Minori smiled brightly. "Shiroe-san is the one who taught me tactics, so you could say that I'm an apprentice tactician."

"An apprentice tactician, I see." Lyn nodded. She then bowed, "Then let us train our skills together. I would like to be part of your party from now on. May I?"

"Well… I don't know where we're supposed to go yet..." Minori asked, looking away distantly. "I don't think there are any boats willing to sail any further than the known continent."

"If it is magic that brought you here, then maybe we should head for Etruria?" Lyn replied, "It is the land most well-known for its magic." Minori looked thoughtful.

"Is there an Adventurer City there?" Lyn looked away, not really sure. Minori simply smiled, "Well, we'll know when we head there." Lyn looked happy. Minori clearly is fine with bringing her along.

"Thank you, Minori! I'm sure one day, you'll become a Master Tactician, whilst I will be your peerless warrior, standing by your side." Minori nodded brightly, accepting the girl's proposal. This was the start of a friendship that was bound to shake the land of Elibe.

**Quest Added: Lyn's Journey**

**Party:  
Minori - Lvl 33 - Kannagi - Apprentice (Scribe)  
Lyndis of the Lorca - Lvl 5 - Myrmidon - Lord**

* * *

**Chapter End**

* * *

Not sure if this will be a series. However, I do hope that I can continue it further down the line. Reviewing criticisms about the idea might help. If someone wants to help me write this story, I'm accepting coauthors. Stories are powerful things.

Okay, YES, Lyn is very much though, unknowingly, ignoring Minori's strength when she was grabbed. A girl as frail looking as Minori is instinctively considered weaker than the other more powerful looking swordswoman. However, Minori is clearly considered stronger than any average strong level 10 in this regard. She'll probably be able to curb stomp any of the Lyn story enemies, if it wasn't for the fact that they are People of the Land. If I EVER get to the point that they're fighting morphs, then this will no longer be an issue. But in the meantime, she'll be the regular healer/barrier maiden.

Lyn as a Level 3 Justification: She's 15 in this fic. She's a good hunter but People of the Land generally get less experience than the Adventurers. Lyn's no different. The usual hunted animals aren't really going to be high enough level for any Adventurer. Also, the hunted animals aren't really the same as the monsters. And People of the Land gain experience far slower than any adventurers. Furthermore, as I mentioned before, she's 15, and I'm going with the thought there has been an interval of 2-3 months since the massacre. She probably spent at least a week traumatized, and the following weeks trying to remember her training. The amount of time it took to get to that level would be absurd. She was probably level 2 before the massacre. Training from the elders on a bow does not a great swordswoman make. She advanced to level 3 upon living on her own and hunting her own meals every now and again. Would be slightly higher if she hunted everything she eats. As is, Level 3 is appropriate.

Bandit Level Justification: The first one is just a beginner bandit probably just got his first kill out of the way and was being shown the ropes, while Batta is just some guy going around acting all tough. Level 7 is clearly very appropriate. Batta's group is too insignificant to even consider him to be a threat.


	2. Two and Two makes Four

**The Strategist's Apprentice  
**by Lunar Wave

* * *

**Two and Two Makes Four**

* * *

The streets of Bulgar are just as Lyn expected it to be. The place was just as crowded as Lyn thought there would be, shoppers walking across from shop to shop, horses being pulled through town by the nomadic riders and certain other travelers, like these two knights loitering about the area.

This was what you could call the trading hub of Sacae, where all tribes go to for any form of bartering for supplies that they couldn't get for themselves. It contained most anything they would require as well as any other trinkets which some travelers come and purchase for souvenirs.

"So this is Bulgar?" Minori asked, holding onto her staff, as she and her Sacaean companion walked down the streets, as yet another horse passed by them. Minori smiled at the rider, but the man paid no mind to that. Bulgar was an entire day away from where Lyn was staying, and during that day, Lyn had seldom wondered how Minori was able to smile as honestly as she does. From what she could tell, she seemed to have a decent life up till she was found in the desert. Was she not worried?

"Lyn-s… Lyn?"

"Ah yes, this is Bulgar. Let's go. We'll buy some food supplies and some travelling gear from the stores so that we can make our way to Etruria." Lyn hurried along the way, but Minori smiled.

"If you're worried about me, don't be. I'm an adventurer. I'm used to difficult situations."

Ah, yes, Lyn smiled, Minori was an adventurer, that was what she said, and that's what confuses her the most. She was unaware of how the process of becoming an adventurer is, but because many people have claimed to be one it doesn't seem hard, although Minori definitely seems to have more certainty in her voice.

"I have some money to use, Lyn, so I'll pay for us. I was going to the bank to deposit this money when I was eventually sent here." Minori smiled, as she pulled out a handful of gold coins, making Lyn ogle at the sight. With just the coins in Minori's small hand, she could buy much of the necessary supplies and they could possibly get a horse to ride on through the desert. No. First thing's first. They needed to buy food and tents.

* * *

**(Later)**

* * *

"The horse stables?" Minori asked the girl, "Are we to buy a horse?"

"It would make our travels faster and it is best if we could have one on hand." The two amiably walked towards the said location, looking for one.

"Maybe not just one, but at least 2. We can have the horse carry part of our supplies." Minori indicated the camping supplies (2 tents, fire starters, and a bit of food) that Lyn was carrying as of that moment. Lyn nodded, as her arm was starting to get sore, not good for a swordswoman. Minori amiably took the bag from her after taking notice of the fact. Lyn would've complained but Minori doesn't look the slightest bit troubled.

Lyn was a Sacaean, so she clearly knew which horses were stronger than most others and they bought the horses which have a good balance of strength and speed. Minori pulled out her hand from her pocket to pay the necessary amount of gold. The man ogled at seeing the amount and agreed to sell the horses for the price Minori offered. Buying saddles and a bit of horse food for another bunch of gold, the two made their way back outside the stables, only to find themselves facing a man they've never seen before.

"Oh my heart, what a dazzling vision of loveliness!"

"… … Huh?" A knight in green armor appeared before the two, his dirty blonde hair pulled away from his face with a dull grey headband, and his smile so dazzling, it reminds Minori of a certain Rundelhaus Code.

"You know this person, Lyn-san?" Minori asked, confused. Lyn immediately shook her head, and they thought it best to walk slowly away, while still keeping track of where the man is. The man did not seem deterred by their ignorance.

"Wait, O fair and beauteous one!" The knight said, without even skipping a beat. "Would you not favor me with your name? Or better yet, your company?"

"Why are you following us, Knight-san?" Minori asked quickly, trying to avoid having to deal with the man. They had plans to stay at a nearby inn, and it would simply not do for them to be late to set a reservation. Unfortunately it seems that the man (on closer inspection, Minori thinks this man might be around the same age as Shiroe) had heard her wrong and was delighted.

"Oh you know of me? That is fortunate! Yes, I am Sain, a knight of the Caelin canton of Lycia, home of men with passion and fire!"

"Should that not be home of callow oafs with loose tongues?" Though Lyn wonders why Minori would know of the man's name, she needed to protect the girl from any strangers.

"Ooh, it seems that your companion is just as lovely as she is cruel." Sain delightedly smiled.

"Let's go Minori, I have nothing more to say to this man."

"Ah… yes let's go. Excuse me Sain-san, but we are in a hurry, so if you would excuse us…" Sain looked confused at her expression of his name, Sain-san, but nodded brightly, moving out of the way for the two to pass. Lyn moved protectively near Minori as they passed him, glaring slightly at the knight.

"How did you know his name?" Lyn asked.

"Ah… no I did not. I suppose you are familiar with "miss" and "mister"? I use the term "-san" the same way."

"Huh? Is that so? But you did not refer to me as such when we first met…"

"I… knew that you had a different culture than me so I tried avoiding calling you by such honorifics. But this time, I called him more out of habit." Minori looked sheepish at this, but Lyn smiled, somewhat relieved at the way Minori said it.

"I do not mind being referred to that way, do not worry." Lyn smiled.

"Alright, Lyn-san."

* * *

**(Nighttime, a Room in the Inn)**

* * *

Lyn sat on the floor waiting patiently as Minori traced over a copy of the map that they had bought for this trip. Actually… it was Minori who made the copy, which boggled Lyn's mind. This girl writes maps so fast, she could hardly believe it. She watched Minori practically use their recently bought ink and quill to practically write down every detail of a map onto a blank sheet.

"Is… being able to write maps part of your training as Tactician?"

"Well… Shiroe-san is a scribe, so I ended up getting much of his skills as well." Lyn nodded and pondered on that.

"What is a scribe?"

Minori did not even look up from where she was, as she drew up the rest of the maps. However, she clearly heard the question as she clearly replied,

"Well, you could say that scribes are people who write down anything onto pieces of paper. But Shiroe-san is a bit more magical than just that, which goes the same for me. Shiroe-san and I are capable of making magically-binding contracts. Organization of data comes easier to us, and we can read information faster than most."

Lyn nodded, looking as she watched Minori draw, the maps of Bern, Etruria, Sacae, and a full Elibean map on the ground, and she had just finished copying the one for Sacae. They had bought a Lycian map just in case they had to pass by the area as well, but on the whole, it was largely unnecessary, so it was set aside for a later day. The two sat in a comfortable silence, until Minori had fully traced over all of the maps on the ground.

"Well, I really ranked up my scribe level…" Minori murmured as she looked at her rank. As the level of the Kannagi and the Apprentice are separate, Minori is now about a level 65 apprentice. And naturally, Lyn was unsure as to what that meant, but kept her own questions from leaking out as Minori traced over a pointer on the Sacaean map.

"So the plan is… from here, Bulgar, we head east to the temple of the Sword of Spirits, correct?"

"Yes. As part of Sacaean culture, before heading out on a journey, we must pay our respects to the blade so that the spirits would bless us with fortune."

"You mentioned clerics who worship this saint, but you've never mentioned any one resembling the druids… I suppose these would be the ones?"

"Druids?"

"Ah, never mind that." Minori shook her head. "After that we continue west, avoiding the bandit mountains near the Bern-Sacaean border."

Personally, Lyn would preferred to not avoid the bandits and try to eliminate them herself, but two against hundreds is clearly a losing battle, so she did not mention it.

"So from there, we head to Etruria, and hope to buy a better map, with more details than the one we bought here." Minori sighed as she looked at the Etrurian map. It was a shame that they were only able to get a run-down copy, but the information was valuable enough. It was also the reason why Minori bought so much parchment as all the maps were on the verge of breaking.

"And so that's it, I suppose we should head in for some sleep. We do want to leave early." Minori cleared out the floor, folding the maps neatly and placing them in her bag. Lyn stood up to blow out the candle and the room was soon in complete darkness. They both slid into the bed, and Minori immediately closed her eyes. However, Lyn was not yet sleepy.

"Minori...? May I ask a question?"

"What is it, Lyn-san?"

"Where are your parents?" Lyn felt the tensing of the girl through the sheets, and she felt like she needed to apologize immediately but was stopped when the girl replied.

"I… don't really know… They're not… they're no longer in this world." Minori replied. "The only blood relative I have in this world is my brother Tohya, and right now he's back in Akihabara."

"At least you still have a brother." Lyn replied, slightly bitter, but also rather remorseful for mentioning such a sensitive topic. "I… bandits came and attacked my tribe, the Lorcans. I'm the chieftain's daughter, but the remaining Lorcans are old-fashioned so they would not follow a girl. They all went away and joined other tribes, hoping to return to a somewhat normal life. I, however…"

"Both of your parents died in the attack?"

"Yes. And I didn't wish for the Lorca to disappear. Thus I insisted on remaining a Lorcan, even though I would be the last one. I spent four months watching my world collapse, as I hunted for my own meals, and sold some of the meat and fur here at Bulgar in order to sustain myself. I…"

"Are you crying Lyn-san?"

"No. I won't cry. I refuse to cry. I've done enough crying." Lyn shook herself, as though trying to convince herself that everything would be alright. Minori nodded alongside her, not saying anything for a few more minutes until she decided to speak of her own experiences.

"When Tohya and I found ourselves stranded in Akihabara, we were confused, and unsure of anything. The only one that we had trusted was this high-level adventurer, Shiroe-san, and everything in Akihabara was rather drastic. Many in the city were losing their will to live, and others were trying to take advantage of the lawless city. Tohya and I found ourselves involved with a group of… bandits I suppose?" Lyn grimaced to know that her friend was also the victim of the savages. "But eventually, Shiroe-san saved us. He then changed Akihabara so that no one would turn to savagery and we could have a semblance of a law implemented in the city. Eventually, we joined Shiroe-san's Guild, Log Horizon, and we gained something important to us up to this day: a family. Log Horizon was a guild that I would be proud to call a family to me and Tohya."

Lyn nodded smiling at the happy ending Minori received in the end, but what surprised her was what Minori said next.

"I think that's what you need, Lyn-san. A family that would support you, and take care of you. It doesn't have to be by blood. It just needs to be a group of people who would become close to you and build new experiences with."

Lyn turned her head to look at Minori. The girl was looking right back at her and was smiling. Lyn thought on what she had said. Family. Yes, Minori was right. Maybe she did need others to support her. She herself knew how many times she wished to die during the troubles of the past months. But if what Minori said is right then…

"… I think you would be the first member of that new family, don't you think?" Lyn smiled. "You're like an elder sister that I could confess my troubles to." Minori chuckled nervously at that, thinking of how much difference between their ages, and knowing that Lyn would probably be older than her regardless.

"I suppose so. Tomorrow, we set off for the Altar, and we'll start our quest from there." And with that the two once more fell into a comfortable silence, eventually drifting off to a realm of sleep.

* * *

**(The Next Day)**

* * *

It was that green knight again. Lyn groaned as they saw the knight standing alongside a knight in red. They were arguing as they stood by the gate.

"You don't need to be so severe, my boon companion!"

"If your manner was more serious I wouldn't need to be so severe!"

Lyn pulled along her horse, Minori following slightly behind with her own horse. Minori's load looks considerably lighter but Lyn begrudgingly admitted that Minori is clearly the stronger one between the two as, in fact, Minori was the one carrying the heavier weight. Lyn had argued about this but Minori had replied that Lyn needed her sword arm to not be worn out if they ever encounter bandits, which Lyn would not argue against.

Lyn shook her head and glared at the two riders. "Can you excuse us? Your horses are blocking the road and we would like to be on our way."

The red knight took notice of this and had the decency to look slightly embarrassed, "Ah, sorry, my apologies. Are you two travelling alone?"

"Yes." Lyn replied coolly, and had her head turned once more to the green knight, as though daring him to say something. "Is there something wrong with us two travelling, sir knight?"

The red knight replied quickly, slight worry can be heard in his voice. "It is highly uncommon for two teenagers to simply be waltzing across the land without a grown person."

"It is none of your business how we travel." Lyn replied. "Let's go Minori, I have nothing more to say to them." Lyn was already walking ahead.

"Alright, Lyn-san." A jerk of the head in their direction came from Kent. But the two had already gone ahead. Both on their horses the two had already galloped away to the east.

* * *

**(The Plains East of Bulgar)**

* * *

"What's WRONG with bandits?" Lyn growled, as she dodged her horse once more, avoiding the bandits that were trying to halt her movements. As Lyn grew up in the Sacaean plains, these kinds of maneuvers were easy to do. Minori herself did not have much of an issue, having some training in riding horses courtesy of Akatsuki. The horses were faster than the bandits, who were all on foot.

"That girl's our way to gold! Don't let her get away!" If there's one thing Minori herself would commend the bandits for, it's that they don't give up. However, horses were faster than humans, and they were soon left in the dust.

"We'll need to fight them." Lyn called to Minori. "These bandits are nothing if not persistent. We're better off cutting them down now before they call for more men." Minori grimaced at the thought of having to kill humans again, but she nodded, and they found a nearby river. Minori squinted a bit to see two bridges, one rather worn down, and the other slightly sturdier.

"Go across the river and then guard the bridges. We'll cut them off from there." Minori called out, as she pulled her horse to cross the sturdier bridge. Lyn moved to follow, however having the horse jump the river rather than cross the bridge. It was simply easier for a Sacaean to do such a tactic rather than force the horse to go around it.

"We'll rest here, and wait for the bandits' arrival." Minori called out, as she clambered off her horse, pulling out a pair of binoculars. She instantly jumped onto the nearby tree, her Adventurer strength easily taking her to the top branch. "They're still chasing after us." Lyn nodded, as she tied the horses to a nearby tree, preparing her own blade to intercept any of the bandits that happen to arrive first. Lyn smiled slightly, almost a smirk, as she moved to the nearby bush, hidden in plain sight. This was why she insisted on wearing green. That and her natural green hair allowed her to hide in forestry much easier than anyone else. "_From what I could tell, we have a group of ten bandits. There are ten more approaching from behind them. Average level range is 7-9._" Lyn winced as the voice came, not from the girl hidden in the trees, but rather from inside her head.

This was something that Minori and Lyn discovered in the one day they traveled from between Lyn's old home to Bulgar. Minori can telepathically communicate with anyone in her party. Honestly, Minori was not sure as to how it works, as she was also once in a party with a Person of the Land and she did not have this ability to communicate with others outside her friends list, Rudy being the biggest example of this. This kind of communication skill is not something that she should have to begin with, as not even Charasin, head of the 8th Shopping District Guild, and his Overskill Multi-line have something as revolutionary as being able to communicate telepathically with people outside his friends list.

But while she did not know how it works, she'll certainly take full advantage of it.

"_Minori, I'm still not used to your voice in my head… can you try not to sound so loud…_" Lyn murmured, her left hand on the side of her head, for both massaging it as well as activating the gesture for communication.

Minori apologized quickly. "_There also seems to be two people on horses coming our way_."

"_Horses!? The bandits didn't have any horsemen from what I could see!_"

"_You're right. But these two are the knights we saw at Bulgar earlier. The green knight and the red knight. Their horses seem to have armor on them which might explain why they're slow, but they don't seem to be in league with these bandits. Oh! They're attacking the bandits now!_"

"_What? Why would they?_" Lyn stood out from the bush, squinting, wanting to see this skirmish. Indeed, they watched as the green knight impaled a nearby axe-wielding bandit with his spear, and watched as the red knight slash at another with his blade. They both pass by the other bandits, as they roared, as two of their number dies. They're now down to eight bandits, but the two knights were already far ahead of them. Lyn readied herself, for any attack, from either the bandits or the knights. But what the red knight, upon arriving at the scene, spotted her, she was clearly caught unguarded when the red knight immediately asked.

"Are you Lyndis of the Lorca?"

"How do you know that name?" Lyn asked, her hand toying with the iron katana in her hand.

"Then we shall assist you in getting rid of the bandits." The red knight immediately replied, not even bothering actually answering the question. "I am Kent, a knight of Caelin. Where is your companion?"

"If you're speaking of Minori, she is up on that tree." Lyn jerked her head to the tree. Both red knight and Sain looked upon the girl up on the tree, her binoculars traced on the two of them. The first thing both noted is how strange the clothes the girl wore. They've seen the clothes earlier, but didn't pay as much attention as they did now. But now was really not the time to nitpick. "And no, I do not need your assistance. Minori and I are dealing with this situation just fine."

"Lyn-san, now's not the time for this." Minori jumped off the tree, catching the two off guard. She turned to the two men, "I'm an apprentice tactician, and if you want to work with us, you'll follow my directions. We'll discuss future tactics later, but right now, I just want you two to follow my orders specifically." The two nodded, slightly unsure of taking orders from such a young girl.

"If there is no problem then…" Minori opened up her menu and clicked to add Kent and Sain into the party. Two magical screens appeared in front of the knights, one in front of each respectively. They looked at the screens and at each other's. They have the same message, written in Lycian script: "Minori invited you to join the party." Two circles are on the bottom, one saying "Accept" the other saying "Decline". The two automatically pressed Accept. There was no reason for either of them to decline. If it allow them to fight alongside who they suspect Lyn to be, then it all the more adds to their reason. But what they saw next astounded them.

**Name: Sain of Caelin  
Race: Human  
Class: Cavalier  
Level: 10  
Subclass: Border Patrol  
Guild Name: N/A**

**Name: Kent of Caelin  
Race: Human  
Class: Cavalier  
Level: 10  
Subclass: Border Patrol  
Guild Name: N/A**

Right there was a list of skills that they had worked hard to train, and it wasn't just the skills, but as well as how protective their armor is, and how much more it could. This information was absolutely valuable to a person and Kent subconsciously pressed the magic circle that says Party. There it stated exactly what he thought to see. Apart from Sain's, Minori and Lyn's names were also on the list. He wonders what HP and MP mean, but he'll ask that later. Right now there were bandits to be defeated.

"_Kent-san, Sain-san, this is Minori._" Minori's voice sounds echoed to Kent, as Minori was clearly right there but at the same time, there was a voice in his head that was talking as well. "_Sain-san and Lyn-san, I want you two to guard the bridge upstream. You two make sure to use the green of your clothes to hide among the trees. Don't attack any of the bandits that come across until you are absolutely sure that there is no one else coming across the bridge. Deal with them swiftly once they're all across. Also don't you dare be reckless, Lyn-san. I won't be near you to heal you._" Lyn looked slightly offended at this.

"Do not worry. I have a couple of vulneraries in my satchel. This should be enough for now." Lyn did not bother telepathically talking, seeing as Minori was clearly right there. Minori looked at her quickly and bowed in apology, muttering something about habit.

"How about you Sain?" Kent asked quickly. Sain looked at least ashamed, his face deep red. Lyn sighed and handed the young knight a vulnerary. Sain looked positively delighted, but was once more professional when Minori next spoke.

"Kent-san, you and I will guard this bridge. Our red clothing would stand out well in this situation and we can defeat them that way. Our job is to lure as many of our enemies into attacking us. Some might try to go to the other bridge to try and attack us at two sides, but that is where Lyn and Sain's ambush comes in."

"I also have a vulnerary with me, but I assume that you are a cleric, Miss Minori?"

"I'm a Kannagi, Kent-san. Us Kannagi specialize in damage prevention, rather than healing." Minori brandished her staff. "I'll protect you, as long as you protect me." Kent nodded. "Of course I would heal you when needed." She immediately turned to Sain. "Sain-san, your job is to protect Lyn-san, so try not to charge and attack as often unless you are absolutely sure that Lyn-san can handle the number of enemies you are leaving behind." He nodded, his lance ready.

Minori pulled out her binoculars. "Positions everyone, the bandits are finally coming. And good thing is that they're all exhausted. We could defeat them easily. There's more of them however so prepare for a long battle. I count at least 15 of them right now. Must be their reinforcements. Alright, let's begin this!" And with that, the battle of the river with two bridges had begun.

* * *

It was practically a massacre, this was what Kent thought as he picked off one bandit after the other. The bandits definitely brought more friends. While Minori's count was slightly off, defeating 18 bandits was certainly no small feat. And they did it. Most of the bandits tried to attack the red armored duo, but with both Minori's barriers, which Kent noted really did as advertised, and his own skill, the two quickly picked off many of the attackers. The others, about four of them, tried to go upstream only to be blindsided by Lyn and Sain. The two quickly crossed the river and attacked the force attacking the red duo from behind. Bandit blood practically flowed to the ground. There was only one last bandit left, and they were currently interrogating him. The man, however, instead of being cooperative, had decided to rant instead.

"This was supposed to be easy money! We were not told that this girl would have two knights, and a girl who could summon friggin magic barriers out of nowhere! This was not how it was supposed to be!"

"Who HIRED you!?" Kent growled, his sword's tip practically piercing into the man's neck.

"I don't know! All I know is that we're supposed to kill this Sacaean bi-" That last word was never spoken as both Kent and Lyn had had enough and simply stabbed the man through his gut.

"This man was surely a handful." Sain grimaced. Then he turned to Minori. "Ah, Dame Minori, your tactics are truly spectacular! You are a superb tactician, and I would love to be under your command for the rest of our journey!"

"Our journey, Sain-san?" Minori asked. "Why would you wish to accompany us on me and Lyn's journey? You have duties as a knight of Caelin, correct? Why are you here?

"Actually… I suppose we SHOULD explain what the matter is…" Kent sighed. "We are here in the plains of Sacae to search for our Marquess's granddaughter, Lyndis."

"Me? Your lord's granddaughter!?" Lyn asked, awkward at the sudden revelation, "how can you be sure that I truly am this granddaughter?"

"That depends on whether your mother is Lady Madelyn."

"My mother's name was Madelyn… but what are you trying to tell me?"

Kent looked satisfied with this response, "While your hair is clearly Sacaean, your eyes are remarkably much alike to the pictures of Lady Madelyn back in Caelin Castle."

"Kent-san, I think you should start explaining from the beginning." Minori pointed out. "First, if Lyn-san's mother is truly royalty, why was she out here in Sacae instead of at home in Lycia?"

"Ah, yes… very well. Lady Madelyn is the daughter of Lord Hausen, Marquess of Caelin. However, she fell in love with a Sacaean, the chieftain of the Lorca. Lord Hausen disapproved of the marriage, but Lady Madelyn was adamant on being wed to the Lorcan and so they eloped. They lived here in Sacae, and Lord Hausen simply declared he had no daughter, out of grief."

"I see… so what changed? Why is the Marquess calling for Lyn-san?" Minori asked.

"Ah… yes. A few months ago, Lord Hausen received a letter from Sacae. It was from Lady Madelyn. In it, Lady Madelyn told her father of how happy her life is. In it, Lady Madelyn mentioned a daughter. The daughter's name, however was what drove Lord Hausen to change his mind. After all, Lyndis was the same name of his wife, and this brought Lord Hausen to send us two newly minted cavaliers to seek the family. It was to our great misfortune that we would come to learn that the Lorca have all died upon our arrival here in Sacae. However, it was to our great relief that we learned that Lyndis was still alive and so it became our duty to bring back at least her, to reunite with her grandfather."

And with that, Kent finished his long story. Lyn looked torn, as she heard the sincerity in the knight's voice and she felt the yearning that she felt long ago. She was still 15, barely 16. She still mourned for the loss of her family, and she would immediately latch onto anything that was alike it. Minori was the first one to be like one to her, albeit Minori's role was more like an older sister. Lyn did realize that Minori is younger than her, but it doesn't change the fact that Minori was in fact like an elder sister to her. And now she learned of someone who was an actual family member that cared for her. A grandfather he had not met.

"What do you want to do, Lyn-san?" Yes, this question, which Minori gave was what was plaguing her mind the most. On one hand, she truly wanted, no… YEARNED to have a family again. But at the same time, she would be betraying Minori. Lyn had asked Minori to allow her to join her group. She finds it simply like base betrayal to just leave Minori in the dust like that. Minori needed to go to Etruria. She had already promised to accompany her in the journey, but this revelation was tearing her up.

"I… I…"

"I don't need to go to Etruria, Lyn-san. It's actually quite easy for me to go back home." Lyn looked bewildered at what Minori just said. "You know that I have magic to communicate with my friends back home correct? I also have the same magic that would allow me to go back home instantly. I'll go where you go. Just follow your heart." Lyn looked at Minori, the girl's smile calming Lyn's heart down, and she looked determinedly at Kent and Sain.

"Very well, Minori and I will accompany you." At this Kent and Sain looked pleased and grateful. The footsteps of fate have started walking.

* * *

**Chapter End**

* * *

High-low, hello, people who are actually reading this! I thank you, and my view count thanks you! I really appreciate you reading this story. For what it's worth, I DO plan on finishing most of the stories I have on the waiting list, but I just can't focus on them long enough before I give up. For anyone with questions, feel free to ask them, and I might add it as an annotation to the next chapter. For now, you have the following:

And so, Read on and Review!~

Oh on a side note, what do you think of the cover art?

For those who still haven't caught up, Italicized Text is Telepathy in this story.

* * *

**Wise Up!  
Party Members:  
Minori  
– Class: LVL 34 Kannagi  
– Subclass: LVL 56 Apprentice (Scribe)  
Lyn  
– Class: LVL 10 Myrmidon  
– Subclass: LVL 1 Lord (Caelin)  
Sain  
– Class: LVL 12 Cavalier  
– Subclass: LVL 1 Border Patrol (Caelin)  
Kent  
– Class: LVL 12 Cavalier  
– Subclass: LVL 1 Border Patrol (Caelin)**

* * *

Sain and Kent level Justification: Knight Training, I think would at least elevate someone to at most level 20 before stagnating. I imagine a recently trained one would be level 10. Sain and Kent are newly minted cavaliers, which is why it was not as big a deal as it is to send them away for months on end. This also means Sain and Kent's loyalty, as young knights, are solely focused on the Marquess and Caelin, which was what Lord Hausen was after. Overall, both of them are newly recruited knights, and thus better equipped to train themselves.

Average Level Range of Bandits. They're just men for hire to kill one girl. Lundgren is a bit of a cheapskate, methinks.

* * *

_**Minori's skill: Communication despite Relationships  
**_**If I must elaborate on this topic, then I suppose I should begin with how the Tactician works in Fire Emblem. The Tactician has the ability to have such an easy communication with his/her whole army to the point that he/she can micromanage everyone to follow his/her orders to the letter, even though they're all scattered all over the map. Minori doesn't have this skill back in Seldesha. However, here in Elibe, as Minori is substituting for the Tactician, Minori also gained a specifically hidden subclass, "Tactician" to accommodate for the skills that the Tactician had. The Tactician also has the ability to see details such as the items held by their enemies, but that would be explained at a later date. All you need to know is that, Minori would have nearly the same skills as the FE Tactician, but they would be watered down, and somewhat more difficult to manage.**


	3. A Formation of Friends

**The Strategist's Apprentice  
**by Lunar Wave

Disclaimer: I don't own Log Horizon. Also, I don't own Fire Emblem and I most certainly do not own the Even Rhythm skill I equipped to the disclaimer.

* * *

**A Formation of Friends**

* * *

"Lady Lyndis, please pay more attention to the meal rather than to your new blade. While it is true that the sword is truly fascinating, there is no need for you to pay more attention that absolutely necessary."

"I know, Kent… it's just… I can't believe it… Probably the most famous blade in all of Sacae, and I am holding it in my hands…" Lyn mumbled, finally sheathing the blade on her side and sitting next to Minori. Lyn almost could not imagine what would happen if she hadn't met Minori. Would things have been different? Would she still have, regardless of the danger, go out and go wherever she pleases? Or would Kent and Sain arrive just in time for them to inform her of her grandfather? She didn't know but Minori changed a lot in her life, and she watched as Minori took charge of the current topic in the meal.

"Right now, all of us would be travelling together, so it would be best if we know each other enough. I don't need specifics, just tell me things like, what weapons you prefer, what magic you like to use, or something like that. Using that information, I could probably make our fights more efficient."

Kent pondered before nodding, "That seems to be a logical thing to do. Very well, I just need to tell you about my training, correct?" At Minori's nod, Kent continued, "Sain and I fight are both new knights in Caelin. We've only recently joined the cavalier army for Caelin."

"Why the cavaliers?"

"I can't speak for Sain, but I personally do like taking care of horses, which is why I took the job." Kent smiled fondly, as he watched his horse sleep nearby. "Though I do believe Sain has claimed that the reason why he chose to be a cavalier is so that he can offer women the chance to ride alongside him." Lyn and Kent shot a dirty look at the man, who simply whistled softly.

"I also like horses! Isn't that right, my beloved partner?" The addressed horse snorted and turned his head away from the group. Sain's face turned so distraught that Minori, Lyn, and Kent nearly fell apart laughing. Eventually, Sain himself started laughing as well, and it was only until Kent started talking once more that their levity died down.

Kent continued, "I personally specialize at using swords when on horseback. But I'm not bad with a lance, if you need me to use one."

"You can start a fight with a spear, but you'll have to drop it as soon as you could if you get in a pinch and have to use your sword, you know that." Minori pointed out. "The time it takes for you to switch from your spear to your sword might also be a problem."

"It is not. Don't worry." Sain smiled, "We've been trained to switch weapons quickly in the event it is necessary." He pointed at the lance holster on the side of his horse. "Just putting the lance there would allow us to switch with our sword as soon as possible." Here he pointed at his scabbard.

Minori pondered on this, and said, "But still, I think it would be better if you both stick to what you two specialize in: swords for Kent-san and lances for Sain-san. You can switch as necessary, but you don't need to unless you absolutely have to." Kent nodded.

"Moving on, I don't know any magic. So is there anything else you wish to ask, Minori?"

Minori opened her mouth, about to say something, but automatically closed it. She looked at the only other girl in the area. "What about you, Lyn-san?"

Lyn looked at Minori, unsure as to why she should explain much when she has already demonstrated what her abilities are in the past three fights that they have been in, but she complied regardless.

"Simply put, I prefer the use of a blade in battle. My bow skills are a bit too substandard to use in actual fights, but it's enough for hunting." Lyn shrugged, pointing to the hunter's bow hanging from her horse. "I'm… no good with fighting on horses. I know we Sacaeans are well known for horse-back riders but I'm afraid I'm not one of them. I can ride them like most Sacaeans, but I need both my hands or I'll probably make a mistake."

"That is fine. You are the most nimble and beautiful fighter I've ever seen!" Sain complimented her, "Alongside our lovely tactician, we're practically the most unstoppable force I've ever seen!"

"You must have not seen much then." Kent remarked. Minori silently agreed but kept that to herself as Sain complained to his companion.

"Any other skills you might want to point out, Lyn-san?"

"Well… this blade…" Lyn pointed to Mani Katti, "It's been told that it can slice through armor quickly."

"We don't have proof of that yet, but I'd rather not get proof by destroying either of our armor." Kent shrugged. "We can save it for if we meet any armor-wielding bandits."

"There are bandits who go about with armor?" Lyn asked, shocked and a bit concerned.

Sain shrugged, "Some probably stole it off the body of some knight that they killed. It's not an uncommon thing."

"By the way, Kent-san, Sain-san, I don't think either of your armor is really that defensive anyway." Minori pointed out. "They're made so that you can easily ride a horse, yes? Then it must be made lighter than regular armor, am I wrong?"

"No, you are correct." Kent nodded, "In a way, our armor is basically lighter than the armor that a non-riding knight would wear. Most horses can't handle that kind of weight."

Minori took some time to write these bits of information on her notepad before continuing, "So… Is that all you can tell us, Lyn-san?"

Lyn pondered a bit, trying to think of anything else before finally saying, "Yes."

Minori nodded, putting away her notepad. "I suppose it's my turn to explain my skills then?" Kent looked surprised at this declaration. He thought Minori, as the tactician, would keep her skills to herself and not tell them about it, but it somewhat makes Kent trust her more that she would be willing to impart her skills so easily.

"First of all, I'm a Kannagi." They all nod at this. She had told them this before, but they had no idea what it meant. "Simply put, I'm a healer that specializes in Damage Prevention."

"Your barriers." Kent summed up what she meant by that term.

"Yes, I specialize in creating and forming barriers, but I'm still a healer. Although, because of this specialization, I have weaker healing compared to other healers my level." Minori looked embarrassed by this, but none of them seemed to think badly of this, in fact one of them spoke up:

"Don't worry Dame Minori! The fact that you are doing your hardest to protect us is enough!" Minori nodded and smiled.

"Thank you, Sain. I can't protect you completely, if the enemy is stronger than the barrier I set up."

"But it would still lessen the damage we'll take." Kent nodded, "Anything else?"

"I can revive you if you are near death, but that only has a less than a fourth chance of success so still try not to die…"

"You can revive!?" Sain looked wondrously at the girl, "Are you a goddess in disguise, Dame Minori?" Lyn looked slightly ticked off and felt her hand toying with the hilt of Mani Katti. Sain might end up being the first test dummy to the blade's armor cutting ability. Kent noticed it but did not say a thing.

"It's not powerful, and it would only bring you from near-death to almost dead. I'll still have to actually heal you, if I still had enough MP left in me to do so."

"MP?" Sain furrowed his forehead, wondering if he should know the term. He was about to ask Kent, when Minori amended her statement.

"I meant Magic." Minori did not wish to have to explain what the P of the word meant as of yet, and none of the knights seemed interested in knowing more details anyway.

Sain nodded, "Ah, okay."

"I'm also an apprentice scribe, so if we ever need magic documents, just ask me." Kent wondered what these magic documents do but decided not to ask right now. It doesn't seem to be something that would be useful in the meantime.

"You all know that I am an apprentice to a tactician, correct?" Minori asked, "His name is Shiroe-san, and he has this one skill that I can't actually explain but I can probably sum up as 30 seconds with a 1% margin of error."

Naturally all three were confused, so Minori elaborated, "That means, predicting the flow of battle 30 seconds ahead, whilst keeping track of your allies' MP with an increment of 1%."

Sain and Lyn still looked confused, but it was Kent that got what it finally meant, and he paled at this. "Predicting… 30… You mean, your teacher can predict the future 30 seconds ahead?" At this both Sain and Lyn was also in shock,

"E… eh? Someone can do that!? Th… That's… Th-" Sain was lost for words. That kind of skill sounds like something out of a Fortune Teller's skill set, not a Strategist. If a Tactician had such an ability then… And if Minori has that kind of person as a teacher, then that must mean…

"You also have this ability!?" Sain asked, shocked! "Dame Minori, I take back what I said about you being a goddess. You are an absolutely goddess among goddesses!" Sain was now practically kneeling down in front of Minori and all that was missing is for him to bow and say prayers. If Lyn had not been also overwhelmed by the revelation, then she would probably have cut Sain's armor right then and there. Minori clearly looked uncomfortable at this.

"First of all, no. It's not predicting the future. It's seeing the flow of battle based on the status of the battlefield. Second, I don't have the same level of skill as Shiroe-san. I'm only at the level of 10 seconds with a 5% margin of error… Third, the skill in itself, according to Shiroe-san's friends, is called Total Battlefield Control, or the full control of any battle or fight from the beginning until the end."

"To which country is your master allied to?" Kent asked seriously, "I don't want to know what would happen if a war was to go between whoever's side he is on."

"Actually, like me, Shiroe-san is an Adventurer. We Adventurers have one thing in common. We are Free." Now, all three of the listeners know what the term adventurer means. It's something they usually associate with travelers. But travelers still have an alliance to the country they hailed from. But from how Minori claimed Adventurers are, they almost sounded like mercenaries for hire, if only Minori did not fit the usual look of how Mercenaries are. She doesn't even seem nearly as strong or fit as a trained Pegasus Knight. It was hard to connect Minori as a Mercenary. But not one of them questioned it. They don't know why they didn't; they just didn't.

Minori noticed their silence, and looked up at the night sky. She incorrectly assumed that the reason for their quietness was their sleepiness, she stood up and stretched.

"I guess it's time for bed. I'll take first watch?"

"No. Sain and I would take alternating watches. You two simply rest." Minori nodded gratefully, and they all proceeded to their respective tents, preparing for the time sleep would take them away.

None of them knew that this conversation, the simple declaration of Minori that "Adventurers are free" would haunt them for the rest of their campaign and even a year beyond that.

* * *

Ten days. Ten days since they've begun the journey. In all that time, it was enough for the four travelers to become close enough. They haven't been through any fights for the ten days that have passed, but despite that, Minori, still on her guard, continued making up battle strategies, and bouncing them off Kent. Kent would sometimes rebuke some part of the plans, however, aside from the usual more dangerous side of the plans, they were highly logical and actually pretty decent. Kent wondered why an Adventurer would have such advanced tactics, but Minori shrugged that it was what her teacher had taught her, more than enough for Kent to not question it.

They soon arrived at a mountain range that was the borders of Sacae, Lycia, and Bern. Minori and Lyn had originally planned on avoiding the place because of the high risk that crossing those mountains usually entailed, but also Kent and Sain had insisted on going through here, and that it was much safer if they headed from Sacae straight to Lycia.

The bandit-filled mountains were the last place Lyn ever wished to be at. It was not natural, no matter how she looks at the land. This place was clearly raided quite extensively by the bandits. Ruins lay strewn across the mountainside. Any other houses that were still standing, the moment they passed, would mysteriously have their windows shut quickly. In a way, Lyn blamed the bandits, and was internally seething.

Minori, on the other hand, was remembering the incident known as the "Return of the Goblin King". Many People of the Land, both male and female, adult or children, they were slaughtered by the Goblin King's Minions. It was cruel. Minori looked upon the wreck of one house, only to see a battered doll nearby, and that was enough for her to try to avoid looking at the ruins.

Kent was thinking on the same vein as Lyn, but he did not have the same anger or hatred for bandits, so he remained a bit more neutral than she was.

It was Sain, however, that finally broke the tense silence.

"What is the Marquess doing? For bandits to enter his land, would it not be bad for him as well?"

"These mountains do not have a Marquess." Lyn finally couldn't bear to hide her emotions and was growling rather ferociously. "It never did, I suppose… These are the mountains that many Bandits thrive in, among them are the Taliver Bandits…"

"The Taliver?"

"They… they're the ones that robbed me of my tribe, robbed me of my home, robbed me of… my family…" Lyn looked like she was about to cry, but she only glared fiercer, "I will not forgive them. But I know that we can't fight them as we are. I am not running away. I will be back...someday. I'll be stronger...I will break their swords beneath me like twigs beneath a stallion's hooves. I will avenge my people. I'll do everything in my power just to achieve that goal."

Sain looked upon his fierce liege and grinned, "When the time comes, bring me with you."

Lyn looked at the green knight to see the seriousness that is hidden beneath that smile, "Sain…"

Kent himself stepped up, "Don't forget me." Lyn smiled, nodding.

Minori pondered on this then also added her two cents, "I think I can convince my original party, Tohya, Isuzu, and Rudy, to accompany us if it ever came to that."

Lyn nodded, grateful, "Thank you, all of you." They started passing by a town, only to spot something that would bring Lyn to jump off her horse and march up. She had spotted her friend, a Pegasus Knight, being harassed by a group of men.

"What is going on here?" Lyn walked over to the men. "Florina, who are these men?" Minori noted the Pegasus that the lavender haired girl, now identified as Florina, was hiding behind her. Which was kind of ridiculous considering that the Pegasus must be at least twice her size.

"Lyn? Is it really you? I… I…" Florina felt tears fill her eyes upon seeing her friend and felt the urge to hug the girl. Giving in to that urge, Lyn herself returned it, and sighed.

"Come now, no crying."

"Is she an acquaintance, Lyndis?" Kent asked, as he brought his horse to be in between the men and the two girls, annoying the men greatly. It does not help that Sain had also done the same thing. In the corner of her eye, Lyn spotted Minori walking to a nearby village, with two horses, presumably hers and Minori's.

Lyn simply nodded to Kent's question and looked upon her friend and asked, "Florina, what happened here?"

Florina whimpered, slightly, looking as though she can't trust her own voice. She looked upon the two bandits from behind the two knights, and simply replied, "Well...um...When I heard that you had left...I decided to follow you. Then I saw this village... I flew down to ask if they had news of you. I didn't see these two, and...well..."

Kent nodded in understanding, "Did your pegasus land on them?"

Florina hesitantly nodded, "Well, I... A little..."

One of the men triumphantly smirked, "Aha! You heard her! She admits her fault! She stepped on my friend, and now she's got to pay!"

"Pay? Pay for what, kind sir?" Minori asked, as she approached the two from behind, "If it is your injuries, I'll freely heal you so that we can leave this all behind." The two men looked as though their prize was about to be taken away from them and lost to the winds. They had planned for them to sell the Pegasus as penance, but to think a healer would somehow be nearby.

One of the men cried out, "No chance. The girl goes with us-by force if need be!" Minori grumbled at this, not pleased about this.

"There is really no need for force, don't you think? I mean… I AM a healer! I can heal injuries. We don't need to fight!"

"A prize as huge as a Pegasus, you think we'd let something like that pass us by? Hey! C'mon out now, boys! The men are fair game, but don't put a scratch on the girls!" Minori watched as more bandits appeared from multiple locations.

"You are the group of bandits that is terrorizing this area, aren't you?" It wasn't so much a question as a statement. Lyn glared at the men, as she placed her hand on the other blade she had. Mani Katti was not worth these filthy rogues.

"Battle positions everyone!" Minori cried out, quickly, jumping behind Sain as the first axe fell upon the first barrier she set up. Kent quickly placed himself, slashing at the first man that happened to be there with his sword, instantly killing him. The leader of the rogues, as it now appears to be, retreated farther away, but Minori did not seem to mind this.

Florina looked worried. To her, this altercation seemed to be her fault. She looked upon Lyn, asking or begging to be allowed to help, but she can't seem to get the words out and all she was able to say was, "Lyn... I..."

Lyn turned to her friend, as she cut down the first bandit that was nearby, "You're a pegasus knight, aren't you? You can fight, can't you?"

Florina willed her courage in the forefront, to say, "...Yes!" She looked upon the current group and spotted the girl who seemed to be directing the two men in the group. "Lyn...Who's that?"

Lyn looked at where Florina was looking at, and immediately signaled Minori to her. Minori looked at the girl and quickly moved towards them, keeping her eye on the ongoing battle between knights and bandits. Lyn smiled, as Minori herself smiled, "This is Minori. She's still an apprentice, but she's my tactician."

Florina nodded, smiling brightly. At least she won't be the only girl in the group. Minori looked about the same age as she was, after all, "Oh, I see...Well, Minori...I'm pleased to meet you."

"Likewise, Florina-san." Minori nodded, "Lyn-san, I need to be in the battlefield but can you go to that village and ask that they close their gates? I'm afraid that they might get involved with the mess that we're currently facing." Lyn looked at Minori and at the village she was pointing towards, and nodded. "Florina-san, fly over the walls, and see if you spot any other villages in the area, and ask them to do the same."

"A… alright!" Florina quickly mounted Huey and soared into the sky. Minori watched for a few more seconds before once more turning back to the battlefield, pulling up the Sain and Kent's stat windows, looking as to who needed healing. Surprisingly, neither of them seem to be in much danger. She peered into the bandit's stats, trying to figure out why this is and was surprised to see that the ones they were fighting were only around level 8, not high enough to be a threat to the two level 12s. Minori thought back to Florina and realized that she did not add the girl into the party.

"I'm back! There's someone here who wishes to fight alongside us!" Lyn called as she ran towards Minori. Minori looked up to see Florina also approaching again.

"Eep! Who's that?" Florina practically veered away the moment she spotted the man following Lyn. She maneuvered herself to land right behind both Minori and Lyn. The man looked confused but still introduced himself to the two girls, "Hullo! I'm Wil, an Archer."

Minori looked at the bow and the guard on Wil's chest and arm. "An archer?" Minori hasn't been in a party with an archer before. This might become interesting.

"Quite, I'm not as proficient as most, but I can do what I can to help." Minori nodded, and looked at Florina.

"Is something the matter, Florina-san?"

"I… Pegasi are rather weak to bows… Especially if an arrow snags them in the wings…" Minori nodded, mentally noting this down so that she won't endanger the girl.

"You're not fond of males, aren't you, Florina-san?" Minori gestured, "I noticed that you tend to avoid the guys." Florina nodded meekly, and Minori nodded in reply.

"Well, for now, just try to control yourself. Wil-san won't attack you, and I'm fairly certain neither Kent-san nor Sain-san would either. So try to focus on avoiding the enemies. Oh and another thing, I forgot to do this earlier, might as well do this for you both."

Florina and Wil looked confusedly at Lyn. Lyn looked somewhat confused for a while but then understood when she realized what she was about to do.

For in one last gesture from Minori, in clear Ilian Script for Florina, and Lycian Script for Wil, the Party Invitation message sprung right in front of them.

"Wha-what is this?" Florina looked at the screen floating directly in front of her. "Magic?"

"I need you in the party in case I ever need to heal either of you. I have to know how much damage you've taken after all." Minori pointed out. "It makes things easier on me." Party? From what the two could understand, Minori needed them to be in the group to be able to heal them? Then there's no question about it, the two pressed the Accept button.

"Ummm… What does this Level 9 mean?" Florina asked. Wil looked at his own screen:

**Name: Wil of Pherae  
Race: Human  
Class: Archer  
Level: 7  
Subclass: Traveler  
Guild Name: N/A**

Wil winced at seeing what was written: Wil of Pherae. It's been so long since he had been in Pherae. He didn't need reminding of this fact.

"That's not as important right now. Alright… Florina-san, I want you to scout for any enemies, if you spot a bow wielder, try not to fight them. Wil-san, take a ride with Florina-san and land on top of one of the walls. Make sure you don't get spotted easily. Snipe any enemies you find from there." The two nods and, though Florina hesitated, she still allowed Wil to sit next to her.

"Uh… Minori… I was given something from that village. Here…" Florina passed a bag to Minori, which she caught quickly. Minori noticed what it was immediately. A bag of money. And it was not an insignificant amount. Minori quickly thanked Florina. Florina smiled and took off. Flying quickly, the two flew towards the wall, on which Wil jumped off and went into a crawling position. Florina immediately teetered out of the way, attacking a lone bandit hidden in the walls. By now, both Sain and Kent had already gotten out of the enclosure and were attacking every archer in the area. Apparently it was common sense for both of them to get rid of the archer first before anyone else. Minori shook her head and gestured for Lyn to follow her. They also needed to join the field after all.

* * *

"_Everyone, this is Minori. Wil-san, do you still see any archers?_" Kent wondered who exactly this Wil is. Perhaps a villager that perchance decided to help them? Well, as far as Kent is concerned, all help is welcome.

"_…_" No sound came through the telepathy, and Kent wondered if Minori had told this 'Wil' how to activate the Telepathy Magic that Minori maintains between Party members.

"_Wil-san, Florina-san, to talk in the telepathy, put one of your hands on the side of your head._"

"_Oh, okay. Do you hear me now?_" So this was how Wil sounded like? Kent memorized quickly the voice patterns so that he might recognize him if necessary.

"_Yes, kindly answer my question._"

"_Well, I see no one, and I got a pretty good vantage point. I say we're safe._"

"_Florina-san, you have free range._"

"_O-okay!_" Kent and Sain looked up at the sky to see Florina suddenly swerving in and striking down a nearby sword wielder.

"_Remember, who Sain-san and Kent-san are, you two?_" Minori asked, and Sain was about to scoff when he realized that the question was most likely to the two newcomers. Sain simply grunted and attacked another sword-user.

"_Yeah, the red guy and the green guy that are on horses, right?_"

They could imagine Minori nodding in reply to this, "_Try to avoid attacking them._"

"_Minori._" Kent suddenly spoke in the telepathy, surprising Sain, "_I've run out of Vulneraries. Where are you?_"

"_I've bought an Iron Lance for Florina. Her current lance seems too weak and fragile to last too long._" Kent nodded, approving of what Minori said. This was a logical move, and he simply shrugged off another hit from the axe wielder, as he struck him down with his sword. "_Where are you, Kent?_"

"_I'm near the ruins north of the Armory._"

"_Right. Florina, come to the armory immediately. I'll give you the lance, and just drop me off near Kent._" The Pegasus Knight in the air quickly maneuvered off the battlefield, heading for the armory. Soon, she was returning with a white-red child behind her. As Florina closed the ground, her passenger jumped off, her staff glowing.

"Healing Prayer." Kent felt the healing magic wash over him, and he alerted himself for any more enemies on their way.

"Let's go, Kent-san. We're still going with our original battle formation. Disregard Wil-san and Florina-san for the moment." Kent smiled, and looked in the path beyond the ruins. He could see in his peripheral vision being joined by Lyndis and Sain, and the four ran forward, him at the lead.

"Draw your swords! We'll not listen to any of your stinking apologies!" Sain bit back the comment that Minori would have healed any injury and it was their own greed that brought about this battle. It was not worth it to reason with bandits. Kent himself kept cool as he immediately charged the man. The man growled, waving his axe and attacking the cavalier. This would prove to be a fatal mistake.

"Purification Barrier!"

This cry stopped his axe in its path, as a suspended barrier stood between his axe and Kent's steed, Kent maneuvered around, allowing him to parry the axe when it broke through the barrier, sending the man off his guard. Alone this might not have been enough, but the bandit felt an arrow streak through the air and strike him. He gasped, feeling the arrow pierce his stomach. Lyn quickly took advantage of this, slashing at his legs, Sain spearing him directly at his heart. He gasped, as he was suspended on the wall behind them.

"You'll… regret… this… My brothers… The Ganelon –" and with those final words, the man collapsed upon Sain's spear. Carefully removing his spear from the man's body, Sain turned around, and saw the others clean their respective weapons.

"Ganelon? So he was not Taliver…" Lyn murmured. "No matter. Bandits will be bandits."

"_That was excellent sniping, sir Wil._" Kent's voice once more echoed through everyone's heads.

"_Thank you, Sir Kent! Dame Florina is now just finishing up the enemies as we speak. I hope she does soon too. I kind of need her._"

Minori quickly asked, "_Florina-san, are there any more hostiles?_"

"_N-none… I'll get Wil down from where h-he is._" At this, they spotted the Pegasus come by Wil's location and land on the top of the wall.

"_Very well, gather at the village where I left the horses._" Minori removed her hand from her head, "Sain, can you give me a ride?" Sain nodded, reaching his hand out for Minori to take hold of. Lyn quickly jumped on Kent's horse as well, and the two knight had their respective horses galloping away. Away from the bloodied corpse that was the Ganelon Bandit, Migal.

* * *

Minori was currently busy taking care of the payment for allowing their horses care, the others had decided to take certain matters in their own hands, Lyn being the one trying to deal with a particular problem: Florina's presence.

"Florina... Why did you follow me? It's so dangerous…"

Florina hesitated slightly, looking directly at Lyn and trying to slow her own, "Do you remember the knighting ceremony of the Pegasus Knights of Ilia?"

Lyn looked at the girl and nodded, "Yes, you join a band of freelance soldiers to further your training." Her forehead furrowed slightly, trying to piece this together, "Is that what brought you here, Florina?"

Florina nodded, "I wanted to talk to you before I set out. But when I arrived at your camp, your tent was collapsed and… I heard from your neighbors that you had left with a girl in strange clothes, and..." She looked back at Minori, who was now returning. She tried looking away, feeling guilty by the name-calling.

"Don't worry, I found Minori's clothes strange as well." Lyn chuckled. "I believe she said that they were the clothes of a Shrine Priestess in her country." This piqued the slight in most of the listeners/eavesdroppers. "So, you were worried for me? Thank you, but I'm more worried about you." Florina looked confused at this declaration and Lyn elaborated. "Listen, most mercenaries are men, right? Bands of men? I can't imagine you being at all comfortable around them."

Florina looked away, unsure as well as to how she would go about her dream. She tried reasoning with Lyn, but mostly with herself, "I… I know… it's just that… I always dreamt of being a Pegasus knight. I thought that I would be able to get over my fears but… You had to protect me… I was scared again… It was… Maybe I should just...give up..."

"Mercenaries are like Adventurers wouldn't you say?" Minori automatically asked, "Most adventurers like myself are actually more like mercenaries for hire. We should be able to find a place in this group until…" Minori had intended to say 'until she found a mercenary group she was comfortable with' but Sain had other ideas.

Sain immediately caught on to what Minori was trying to say and latched onto it, intruding on the conversation quicker than most. "Yes! There's no reason to give up your dream!"Lyn glared at the man, as he was starting to scare Florina again, but Sain pressed on "Lovely Florina! I have the most brilliant idea! You should come with us! With the addition of Wil here, we're a fine group of soldiers!"

Wil squawked at his own inclusion, but can't seem to get rid of his own excitement. Minori had claimed to be an adventurer. Would that mean that Minori was a professional? Maybe… just maybe…

Sain pressed on, "Our meeting must be fate! Come now, Lyndis's band of mercenaries is as good a training group as you will find anywhere! We even have a tactician that can predict the enemies movements!" At this Minori tried to stutter out her own comments, but Sain's own exuberant personality can only be stopped by one person, and that person was already having troubles getting the green knight to listen.

Quickly, this degenerated, and now a singular group that would become legendary in Elibe was formed. The core of the group gathered here now. There, right there and now, the _Crimson Shield_, the _Green Lance_, the _Peerless Archer_, the _Skyline Flower_, the _Legacy of the Lorca_, and the _Priestess of War_ have now begun their legend.

* * *

**Chapter End**

* * *

Before we continue on, I'll say this now~ Read on and Review! I really love it when people review, and honestly just tell me what I'm missing.

* * *

**Current Party Members:  
Minori  
– Class: LVL 34 Kannagi  
– Subclass: LVL 56 Apprentice (Scribe)  
Lyn  
– Class: LVL 11 Myrmidon  
– Subclass: LVL 4 Lord (Caelin)  
Sain  
– Class: LVL 14 Cavalier  
– Subclass: LVL 4 Border Patrol (Caelin)  
Kent  
– Class: LVL 14 Cavalier  
– Subclass: LVL 5 Border Patrol (Caelin)  
Florina  
– Class: LVL 10 Pegasus Knight  
– Subclass: LVL 3 Spotter  
Wil  
– Class: LVL 9 Archer  
– Subclass: LVL 6 Traveler**

* * *

Spotter Subclass: Has the ability to see things farther than most, or sees thing clearer than most.  
Traveler Subclass: Has skills that allow for short distance movements. Has a higher endurance than others.


	4. Friends and Foes

**The Strategist's Apprentice**  
by Lunar Wave

* * *

**Friends and Foes**

* * *

Kent grumbled, avoiding talking to anyone at the moment as he felt that he might yell at them. He was not as receptive of the idea of being labeled a mercenary group. He would've much preferred to be referred to as travelers or adventurers. They were NOT soldiers for hire, as he and Sain were STILL in service of House Caelin. To be degraded to such a level is not something his pride could stand for. However, he did realize that having a Pegasus knight with the group would be truly beneficial, and Lyn was much happier when he finally approved of the idea. And so, Wil had dubbed them Lyndis's Legion, like they were a bunch of demons.

Sain and Wil were riding together, seeing as that was the only option left to them. Minori HAD offered to let Wil ride her horse, but, seeing as Wil could neither ride a horse nor be allowed by his pride to let a girl handle riding the horse, it fell upon the one who recruited him to give a ride. Currently, they were looking for a place to rest, and it was up to Wil, being the one who was in the area the longest, to come up and find one.

Kent looked on to his left, seeing the girls. All three were chatting rather amiably, and it was clear that Florina had grown close to Minori, seeing as she was openly talking to her. Maybe it has to do with Minori's cheery disposition and Lyn's clear trust for the girl, but no matter what the reason, it would only prove beneficial to their cause.

Kent thought back to what was said the night before they left the Altar of the Sword. Full Control Encounter. That sounded like such a legendary skill that he almost wished that he would actually see it. He was sure he has not yet seen Full Control Encounter in the field. Minori had not approached battles any different than most tacticians yet. She seemed to be struggling to do so, if anything. The only explanation Minori had given was that they were not really an ideal party and to that he kind of agreed. But that was almost two weeks ago and they now had a full group of six. Earlier, Minori had said about discussing battle formations, so he might finally get a good look at the Tactician's Mind.

He was still not amused when they were brought to a rundown fortress to sleep though. Maybe he should take a bit of a jaunt outside to get his mind off of things. He might need it.

* * *

Minori nodded rather sleepily to Kent's inquiry. "Sure, go ahead, Kent-san." Kent was not sure whether he should really take that go ahead at face value. Minori was clearly tired, having been stressed with the task of dealing with the bandits and the healing afterwards. It might be best if he asked Lady Lyndis for her opinion as well. It might help solidify his reasoning to go scout out the surroundings, and although Minori is the de facto leader, Lyndis IS the de jure leader and he should run this by her.

"I think it might help ease our worries of being in such an easily destructible fortress. Father Sky knows that we have made many enemies with the local bandits." Lyn replied. And with that Kent left. She turned to the girl that was almost surely asleep. "Minori, I think it best if you actually do sleep for now. We can handle things from here. We do have two extra pairs of hands now."

Minori nodded, and slumped against the wall, not bothering with finding a more comfortable spot. It was a well-established fact in Elder Tale that sleep was one of the few ways to restore HP and MP, and Minori knows how exhausted she is as well.

"Wow, she must have been really sleepy to fall asleep so quickly…" Wil murmured, avoiding waking the girl.

"She dealt with quite a lot during the battle." Lyn replied. "Just let her sleep. Florina, help me set up the meal and we'll-," A clang of armored footsteps echoed through the hall. Sain entered the room, carrying a woman in a princess carry.

"Sain, now is hardly the time for any sexual escapades." Lyn deadpanned at the sight. "Surely you would…" Florina simply continued on readying the meat that they had just recently hunted.

"You wound me, Lyndis," Sain genuinely look hurt by the accusation, "I found this lady outside exhausted and I decided to be the knight that I am and carry her to safety." Wil and Lyn looked as though they weren't buying the response and it was only when Sain added: "she is married," to his statement, that the two stopped staring at him.

Lyn quickly went over to the woman. "May I ask your name?" Lyndis asked.

"I am Natalie, a nearby resident. I was out looking for my husband and happened to spot your group. I was wondering if you would be familiar with a man named Dorcas?"

"I'm sorry, but I've only just come to this area. What about you, Wil?" Wil looked up from where he was preparing the firewood. He pondered for a bit before shaking his head. "It seems that no one in our group is familiar with him, I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's alright." Natalie smiled gratefully. "I suppose I should leave…" The group did not know whether to tell her to stay or to allow her to leave, but that was quickly stopped by yet another clang of steel on stone, this one faster and clearly in a bigger hurry than Sain was. Kent quickly arrived, clearly winded but he quickly reported.

"Is Miss Minori awake?" This was answered by an inevitable shake of the head, "Then we'll have to rely on ourselves for a bit. There are bandits surrounding the fort. I think they are from the same group as those men we slew just this afternoon."

Lyndis nodded, growling, as she quickly moved to get a sword, "Natalie, go to the inner rooms and stay there." She felt a small tug on her shirt and she whipped around to see who it was.

"… Should we not wake Minori?" Florina asked.

"She's tired from the fight earlier, we should not expect her to-"

"I'm awake."

The group spun around to see Minori stretch awake. She rubbed her eyes, and stood up straight. "I set myself to wake up at dinnertime… but looks like we'll have to fight before we ready dinner, huh?" She looked at the cooking meal. She looked at the meat and removed it from the fire. She turned to the others and adopted a stern expression. "We don't have much time, so I'll cut to the chase. How many bandits, Kent?"

"From what I could tell, there seemed to be at least 50 bandits outside. They all seem to be either equal to the strength of the ones we fought earlier." Minori grimaced at these numbers and turned to the others.

"Everyone start packing anything you can pack." Minori quickly ordered, "We'll need to leave. NOW."

"All six of us are still in the party so there's no need to do a rejoin. Kent-san, Sain-san, I trust that you two can keep the big doorway out of danger? Wil-san and I will be right there with you. Florina-san, let Natalie-san ride alongside you and take her away from the battlefield. Natalie-san, do you remember the way to your village? Good, please guide Florina-san." Florina nodded as she helped the girl get on Huey.

"And me, Minori?" Lyn asked.

"Well, I need you to keep Florina-san out of danger while she leads Huey out the door. I also want you to take our horses with you. Are we all clear on what we need to do? If there are any problems, please inform me now. I'm kind of still sleepy so I probably missed some things."

"I think that is the best we're going to get from this situation, Minori." Kent grimaced. "Though I would prefer there to be at least one knight alongside Lyndis.

"We'll slowly back off to the other entrance anyway, Kent-san."

"Could we not do this like a standard siege, Dame Minori?" Sain asked, "Surely we can just wait till they tire out first?"

"… There are too many of them. While the other bandits rest, they can strike us with just a few at a time. Eventually we'll be overpowered and we'll all die." Minori shook her head, "We have to get out of here, at least take our chances with the wider area and maybe defeat the leader. I wish I was able to discuss formations with you earlier, but I'm afraid we'll have to wait for that later. Lyn-san, the moment Florina-san is in the air, contact me through telepathy and wait for Kent-san to come to you. The two of you keep the entranceway clear of bandits. The rest of us will come as soon as possible."

"All packed." Wil reported.

"Well then, let's go!"

* * *

It's been a few minutes and Lyn had yet to call out. It was starting to worry her.

"_Lyn-san, are you alright?_" Minori asked worried. "Purification Barrier!" A second blue barrier appeared in front of Sain, as the enemy axe broke through the last one. "… She's not responding… Kent-san, go over there, NOW!" Kent nodded, running towards the other door.

"Uh, Minori, there are bandits coming from the west." Wil cried out.

Minori whirled around as an arrow nearly pierced her shoulder. Wil quickly put an arrow through the archer's heart. A few bandits started showing from the west corridor.

"Sain-san, retreat to the other door, NOW!" Sain nodded, and the three quickly ran after Kent, arrow after arrow Wil shot at the enemies. Minori quickly cast purification barrier to stop the enemies from advancing to fast, and as soon as the cool down was over she cast again.

"Minori!" A familiar voice cried out, and Minori sighed in relief to see Lyn. And there was yet another man in the room.

"This is Dorcas, Natalie's husband." Lyn informed her. "Florina has gone to take Natalie back to her village." Minori looked for Kent, and found that he was fighting off a few bandits. "He promised to help us."

"I…" Dorcas looked like he was about to say something, but Minori cut him off.

"It's nice to meet you Dorcas-san." Minori did a quick bow and she looked around for the horses. They were all still safe. "Sain-san, mount your horse and cover Kent-san for a bit and let him mount his horse. Dorcas-san, guard our back, the enemies might get through the barriers soon." The two nodded, and set off. Kent returned soon and jumped on his horse.

"_Florina-san, where are you?_"

"_I'm returning now, Minori._"

Minori turned to Lyn. "Alright,_ Everyone listening? Kent-san, Sain-san, no change in formation. Dorcas-san, you'll ride with Lyn-san. Wil-san you're riding with me._" Though Dorcas was not in the party, considering that the man was right next to Minori when she had been talking telepathically, Dorcas heard every word and nodded. Wil made no complaint, as it was not time for it.

Lyn looked at the area, and saw that Kent and Sain had cleared up just enough enemies to require them to go. Behind them were bandits, trying to get past another barrier. "Well then, we run?"

"We run." Minori nodded. "_Florina-san, once you arrive, look out for any archers. We're leaving, NOW!_"

* * *

The Bandits chased them into the night, and their bright colored clothes did nothing to help escape from their sight. Fortunately, all of them were on horses, so they got away quite quickly. It was unfortunate about losing a roof to sleep under, but that's what tents were for. Florina made reports, through the telepathy, and soon found them as well. Tired and exhausted from the run, Minori had once more fallen asleep, without even taking a bite of bread. She promised them that they would talk formations in the morning.

Minori may have foregone dinner, but the rest began eating the moment the meal was finished cooking. And though Lyn and Florina tried, Minori just won't wake.

"Well, that was an eventful day. Dorcas, thank you for coming with us." Lyn smiled at the man. "I promise to pay you for your services with us once we arrive at Grandfather's."

"Yeah, welcome to Lyndis Legion." Wil airily replied. Kent grumbled at this and Sain laughed.

"We'll give you part of our payment for this mission." Sain offered. "It's only fair." Kent silently nodded, still sulky at the Lyndis Legion comment.

He stood up and shook himself. "Well then, Dorcas, can I ask you to help with the watch?" Dorcas nodded, "Then, we'll switch watch by the hour. I'll take first and fourth watch. Sain shall take third and sixth, and you can have second and fifth."

"I'd… like to take a turn as well." Florina sheepishly said, "As… a mercenary, I… keeping watch is part of my job so… I would like to actually have some training, thank you… Not that I don't trust you or anything it's just that…" She seemed panicked but Kent pacified her by raising his hand.

"Alright, I'll give you second watch. Dorcas, are you fine with just fifth watch?" Dorcas nodded.

"If that's the case, Sain, wake me up during sixth so that I can see if I can hunt a bit of game for breakfast." Wil excitedly said. "Who knows, I might get lucky."

"We won't count on it."

Wil grinned, as he picked up the rest of his meat and devoured it. "Hmmm… I wonder, how does that telepathy thing work?"

"Telepathy?" Dorcas asked, "You mean the magic that Minori was using to contact Florina even though she was separate from us?"

"I could hear Florina in my head too you know." Wil informed him. "I don't know why Minori chose not to include you in the party, but I suppose she would eventually. Anyway, it's a communication magic that seems to let you talk to others even though you're really far away from each other. It's like hearing things in your head, only it's not just your imagination."

"That's a good way to put it." Kent nodded. "It's a kind of magic that Minori as a Tactician seemed to be capable of. Speaking of which, I wonder if it's active despite Minori being asleep." He held his hand to the side of his brow. "Hello?" The others concentrated, but shook their head. "It seems to be inactive if Minori is inactive." Kent shrugged. "That's unfortunate, but I expected as much. I don't' know enough about magic to be able to understand how it works however."

Lyn nodded, looking around to see Florina seemed to be trying but hesitating to say something.

"Well, Florina, what do you think?"

"Where… is Minori from? I don't recognize her clothes. I didn't ask her earlier because I thought it was rude." The others looked interested as well and Lyn pondered the answer.

"From what I learned from her, she seems to be an Adventurer, and her clothes are the usual clothes of a Kannagi."

"Kannagi?" Dorcas asked. "I'm afraid that I'm not as well educated to understand what that is…"

"Do not worry yourself, Dorcas." Kent sighed, "I myself did not know what a Kannagi is as well until she introduced herself as one. But surely you've seen during our escape her skill with barriers? According to her, though a cleric would be stronger than her in terms of the healing arts, she excels in preventing the need of healing in the first place."

"And her Purification Barrier, the one you saw a lot during the earlier battle, has this interesting effect that even when it breaks and the attack hits you, it's not as painful as you would think it should be." Sain grinned. Kent sighed, not sure whether to praise Sain for his observation or admonish him for being incapable of dodging an attack that was already stopped by a barrier moments earlier.

"I see." Wil nodded, "I was also hit by an arrow that got past a barrier but I barely felt a thing."

"You were not hurt?" Lyn asked sharply, concerned for the traveler.

"They pricked me a bit, but they bounced off quite harmlessly." Wil shrugged. "I guess if Kannagis are supposed to be able to prevent damage, they do a really good job at it. I'm just surprised that they are not in more demand if they are can do something as amazing as that."

"Minori did say that the Kannagi were native to her country." Lyn shrugged.

"That truly makes one wonder which country she and her master is allied to." Kent grimaced.

"She said that she belonged to Yamato." Lyn replied, "Though she has also stated that she is likely seas apart from the country, and it is only an accident of magic that she had appeared in the Sacaean plains."

"An… accident of magic?" Florina stammered, worried, "Does… she have a means to return home?"

"That was what the two of us set out for, Florina. We thought to visit Etruria and see if we can find a way home for her." Lyn shook he head. She grimaced, thinking on how to get Minori home. Minori claimed that she had a magic that would allow her to return to her home but though half of Lyn believed what she said, the other half was traitorously thinking that Minori was only pacifying her fears and that she did not have such a means.

"Then we came along and changed your course." Sain dutifully completed, "I never thought that such a noble quest was happening when we saw you two. Rest assured, Lyndis, the moment we escort you to Caelin, we would see to it that Dame Minori would get an escort to enter Etruria." Lyn smiled. "At any rate, let us clean up and then sleep." The others nodded, Florina slower than the others, and they all quickly walked back to their respective tents, save Kent.

And thus the night passed.

* * *

"Wake up, Kent." Kent instantly opened his eyes at this voice. Sain stood cheerily over the man, "No meat this morning from Wil I'm afraid, but we still have a meal to attend to. Dame Minori was adamant that we all be at the table for mealtime. I think she's finally going to talk to us about formations." Kent nodded, and stood up. He grabbed his armor and slowly assembled them onto himself. Once the last piece was affixed onto his body, he exited his tent. The camp was still in place, all of the others sitting on the floor, munching on a bit of bread. Florina was still noticeably closer to Lyn as she sat on her left side, with Minori sitting on Lyn's other side. Kent quickly took the open seat next to Minori and Sain followed suit and sat beside him.

"Why was I not woken earlier?" Kent asked, "I expect to have been the first to be roused, Sain."

"Dame Minori believed that you have been through a lot yesterday and let you sleep in for a bit." Sain brightly said. "She had woken up just before the sun peeked at the horizon." Kent looked at Minori, trying to keep his face stoic.

"Well then. Minori, please be assured that I would rather be the first to rise, than to be the last one. I am, like Sain, do wear more armor than any of you and would very much prefer it if I'm given ample time to wear it."

"Sorry about that then." Minori apologized. She bowed her head and this action slightly alarmed him. He was not used to being bowed to, and he was starting to wonder if this is normal.

"No apologies needed. You just did as you thought was right." Kent nodded, "Also, I apologize for asking but, why do you bow to me? I am no lord; there is no reason to bow."

"She bowed to me as well when she introduced herself." Dorcas recalled, "It took me by surprise as well."

"Oh, uh… it's that bowing is the traditional greeting of my country." Minori replied. She subconsciously dipped her head in apology again, and the others can tell that it really was ingrained in her.

"Your country has many strange customs indeed." Sain remarked. "But I respect that, and would be honored to bow my own greeting to you." Sain tried standing up but Kent's hand stretched down and slammed the man into a sitting posture again. Minori giggled at the two's antics.

"Let us speak of formations then."

"First of all, what is wrong with our current formation?" Kent asked. "It seems good enough as is."

"I don't plan on touching that, but what I mean is our roles during battle." Minori replied. "We can't all be offense fighters. Some of us need to take the defense role and protect those that can't take many hits. I can only cast so many barriers."

"What roles are these?" Sain asked, "We're not a full-fledged army so I don't really think we need so many things like that."

"First, I want to figure out one thing: who would serve us best as our vanguard, the one who would take the damage away from the other members." Minori quickly said. "If we have someone like that, a sort of tank role that can take hits, I would only truly need to focus most of my skill to that person alone."

"If it's taking the damage away from our team, then us armored folks can do that just fine." Sain proudly puffed up. Kent nodded quickly.

"Hmmm… Your armor. Neither of your armors are really good for defending. They're too light."

"If it was any heavier, our horses would not be able to carry us." Kent replied.

"Though, Kent-san, your armor seems to be better kept than Sain-san's." Sain looked shocked at this observation, and Kent himself looked between his and Sain's armor. Indeed, Sain's armor indeed seemed lesser in quality than his. Kent sent a silent scolding gaze at the man. "But Sain's weapons seem to be in slightly better condition."

"Well, I did polish them during my watch." Sain looked proud.

"If there's one thing we learned from each other, it's that our priorities are slightly different from each other." Kent sighed, "Sain has the better eye for weapons, I'll admit, but I made sure that my armor was well suited for a knight." Sain deflated at this.

"Then, Kent-san, can I suggest that you be our vanguard? It's best if you can make sure the enemies focus on you and no one else." Kent thought on it and nodded.

"Sain-san, you will run behind us, serving as our rearguard. Florina-san, I want you to be our scout. Your task is to inform me and the group of which route we should go and alert us of any enemy reinforcements. Dorcas-san, Lyn-san, you two will serve as the ones dealing close ranged damage. Wil would deal as much ranged damage as he could. In the meantime, I'll be healer and make sure everyone has their HP… oh sorry, health well."

"That seems logical." Kent nodded. "I suppose that's it?"

"I think so." Minori mumbled, "I would like to discuss more but the bandits from yesterday might soon catch up with us and I'd rather not be in terrain where they have the advantage." Kent looked at Minori and nodded.

"Agreed. Well, then, shall we go?"

* * *

Horses and mountains don't really go well with each other, the group had decided. The bandits were hot on their tails and it was only now that they were able to get down from the mountain. Fortunately, Grassy plains and a forest sprinkle the area. Minori weighed the situation. Should they keep running? Or should they fight back now? Minori thought on this and decided.

"Why are these bandits so persistent?" Wil groaned. "They are quite far from their turf now and they're still chasing us?"

"They must really be seeking revenge for the ones we killed yesterday." Kent replied.

"We keep running." Minori decided. "Eventually, once we cross the borders and into Lycia we might run across a few border patrols that will help chase off the bandits."

"Why not just fight the bandits?" Lyn asked, "Surely, we could defeat them now?"

"We do not need to kill everything in our path." Minori shook her head, "If they do catch up, we fight back."

Kent looked at Minori and thought. He nodded. "I concur. The mission is to get Lyn back to Caelin, not wipe out bandit groups. I may have promised to help you destroy the Taliver bandits, but when we do that, I'd rather if we have a decent sized group comprised of Caelin elites than a motley crew with barely any skill." Wil scowled but nodded at this description. Florina shrunk even further into Huey, unsure of how to react at the slight insult.

"And if I were to order us to fight?" Lyn asked, incensed.

"… We die trying." Kent replied after a pause.

"Dorcas-san has no reason to stay and help us fight off the bandits." Minori reminded her. Dorcas looked stunned at this but he kept his quiet. In all honesty, he is completely willing to fight as long as he returns alive. "Wil-san doesn't have one either, and are you really going to risk Florina-san over your personal vendetta?" Lyn stopped at this and thought it over. There were over 50 enemies, maybe less, and there were only 7 of them. In a fight, even if they were superior, they would likely die… but…

"You've lead us through worse." Lyn reminded her. "The fight near Bulgar. We had only four and we defeated all the bandits coming our way."

"We succeeded then because of circumstances, Lyn. You know as well as I do that back then we had enough vulneraries to keep you and Sain alive. But now we've exhausted our supply, especially during our escape." Minori reminded her. She tried calculating if she can handle all the healing needs of the group and shrugged. "… I could probably handle all the healing, but we'd be at a disadvantage against this small army."

"Excuse me? Did you say bandits are coming this way?" The group turned to the source of the voice to see the oddest pair they have met yet. A purple-haired man and a pink-haired lady walk up to them. Kent noted that they looked like travelers, especially as the lady who spoke to them was wearing what are clearly clothes of the convent of St. Elimine. Kent quickly honed in on that as he began speaking for them.

"Yes. A force fifty strong is coming down these mountains and they should be here in a matter of minutes. Are you, perchance, a cleric?" Minori's ears perked at the mention of the healing class and Kent was pleased as he watched Minori's face go from unsure to thoughtful. She quickly looked at the staff in the woman's hand, and then at the man and the book held firmly.

"Yes. And I hear that you're in need of another healer? I am Serra and this contrary mage is my escort Erk. We are headed off to Ostia, and I see that you have horses and maybe it be best that we ride with you? We might get caught in the crossfire as the bandits come down and it would be all your fault." This guilt tripping finally forced Minori's more pacifistic side off once more. She wondered what's with this world and forcing her to kill people of the land. She sighed and looked onto the man.

"Erk-san was it?"

"Just Erk." Erk replied, "From the looks of it, you are the healer of this group?"

"I am." Minori replied. "Ummm… Erk, what is that book?"

"It's a fire tome. For someone who uses magic, I expected that you would at least recognize the most basic offense tome of all."

"Fire Tome? Does that mean you specialize in fire magic, Erk?"

"Strictly speaking, no." Erk shook his head, "I cast magic from the tome."

"How much magic do you use for that?" Minori asked.

"… What do you mean?"

Minori hastily changed her wording, "How many times can you cast magic from that?"

"This tome has about 40 uses in it." Erk shrugged, "But why do you ask? That is again, quite basic. Speaking of which, is that your heal staff? It doesn't look anything like a regular heal staff. And you don't seem to be a cleric at all. I don't recognize your clothes at all." Minori blinked at the rapid fire questions Erk had and realized just what kind of person this man is. He's an academic, which is strange considering that

Sain interrupted here. "Actually, Dame Minori is not a cleric. She's a Kannagi!" Erk opened his mouth to ask what a Kannagi was as he had never heard of it but Minori quickly replied.

"Kannagi's have weaker healing abilities compared to Clerics, but we have a unique affinity for Damage Prevention."

"Basically, Barriers." Wil grinned from where he sat behind Sain.

"Interesting but…" Erk began but realized that six of the companions had frozen as Florina's voice cried out in their heads. Erk could barely hear the voice, but he was glad that he did, as Florina yelled it downwards.

"_I can see the bandits._ _They're already coming down the mountains._"

"_How many, Florina-san?_" Minori asked, her hand on the side of her head.

"… _There's about 50 of them._"

"Well, if there's something you have to praise these bandits for, it's persistence." Wil groaned. "How far are we to the border, Kent?"

"… Not too far. But our horses are clearly too tired for any long distance runs." Kent grimaced, "It's unfortunate, but if either me or Sain has to fight, we would need to dismount. Minori, any suggestions?"

Minori nodded and thought of a plan. She looked around, seeing what she could probably use. Her own mind began thinking, planning. Closed, as she thought of a way to use the available resources to bring about success, using what she learned from Shiroe.

"We cut off the head of the snake." Minori decided. "Everyone, I have a plan."

* * *

**Chapter End**

* * *

Next Chapter: You guys can probably guess what it would be about already.

* * *

**Current Party Members:**

**Minori  
– Class: LVL 34 Kannagi  
– Subclass: LVL 56 Apprentice (Scribe)  
Lyn  
– Class: LVL 12 Myrmidon  
– Subclass: LVL 5 Lord (Caelin)  
Sain  
– Class: LVL 14 Cavalier  
– Subclass: LVL 6 Border Patrol (Caelin)  
Kent  
– Class: LVL 14 Cavalier  
– Subclass: LVL 7 Border Patrol (Caelin)  
Florina  
– Class: LVL 12 Pegasus Knight  
– Subclass: LVL 5 Spotter  
Wil  
– Class: LVL 11 Archer  
– Subclass: LVL 8 Traveler**

**Other Teammates:**

**Dorcas****  
– Class: LVL 7 Fighter  
– Subclass: LVL 5 Lumberjack  
************Erk  
****************– Class: LVL 6 Mage  
****************– Subclass: LVL 23 Magic Scholar ********  
************Serra  
****************– Class: LVL 4 Cleric  
****************– Subclass: LVL 15 St Elimine's Clergy**

* * *

Spotter Subclass: Has the ability to see things farther than most, or sees thing clearer than most. Gains experience whenever the adventurer focuses their eyes.  
Traveler Subclass: Has skills that allow for short and long distance movements. Has a higher endurance than others. Gains experience for every meter traveled.  
Lumberjack Subclass: Has skills that allows for efficient retrieval of wood objects. Gains experience for every chop on a wooden object.  
Magic Scholar Subclass: Has skills that allow him to understand magic and magical objects. Gains experience by reading magic tomes.  
St Elimine's Clergy: Skills such as healing and light magic is boosted considerably. Only available to classes whose base class is a healer class (Cleric, Curate or Troubadour) or a light magic class (Monk). Gains experience whenever worshiping in St. Elimine's Chapels.


End file.
